Ever finish someone else's project? Advice?

16 years ago

DS is home from law school for a couple of days to interview. A classmate of his, he told me, is looking for someone to finish the filet crocheted tablecloth his mother had not finished. She has died in recent years. I told my son that I would be happy to finish it, but I would need the pattern and also to know what brand and kind of crochet thread she was using. He has no idea of how large the cloth is going to be or how much has been done since he did not get into details with this young man.

I recently made a filet banquet cloth with size 10 crochet thread, so I know how to do a filet cloth.

But I wonder if we have no idea of what brand and type of cotton thread she had been using, how difficult it might prove to be to get a match when I buy more thread, if I should need to. I suspect if I could figure out if the thread is 100% cotton or not, that would tell me something, and then if it has to be tea dyed to make the color uniform, maybe the yarns would absorb the coloring similarly.

Anyone with any input???? And then there is the whole thing of having a similar tension, etc....

Comments (6)

profsusan
16 years ago
I think it is wonderful that you are even going to do this! I have finished a few projects for others but always had at least the pattern. I think you first need to see what was completed. My suspicion is that she probably had certain things together with the unfinished project Â perhaps the pattern, some thread and/or the label. So many of us buy at least the suggested amount, if not more, so we donÂt have problems with color even though material is often marked with no dye lot. Since this was "a son" he probably needs to bring you everything rather than describe what his mom was doing. Take a look and then perhaps we can provide useful input. Hopefully, it is close to being finished! A very nice thing to do so that he has an heirloom.
donna_loomis
16 years ago
Susan is right. There's actually not much to even consider until you actually see the project and what is provided. Without a pattern it isn't an impossible task, but it could prove very difficult, even if the rest of the materials are present. I attempted (and miserably failed) to complete a rather old tablecloth and repair an equally old afghan, just because I cringed at the thought of the destruction of so much work. But having no idea of the exact threads, hook sizes, etc., I was utterly unsuccessful. I ended up throwing the afghan away, but I saved the tablecloth - just packed it away. Someday when I am feeling up to it, I plan to cut away the damaged motifs and see about possibly making a few smaller mats out of it.

It is a sweet thing for you to do, but I wouldn't make any promises without seeing first what might be required to finish the job.
Related Professionals
Long Beach Furniture & Accessories · Rockville Furniture & Accessories · Fillmore Furniture & Accessories · Hoffman Estates Furniture & Accessories · Little Chute Furniture & Accessories · Northbrook Furniture & Accessories · Temple Terrace Furniture & Accessories · Westport Furniture & Accessories · Wanaque Interior Designers & Decorators · Brooklyn Park Home Stagers · Honolulu Home Stagers · Kennesaw Home Stagers · Round Lake Home Stagers · Boise Staircases & Railings · Catonsville Staircases & Railings
threejsmom
16 years ago
Hopefully the pattern (if there was one) wasn't thrown out with other papers if the tablecoth and pattern were not kept together. Otherwise you can post pictures of it here and on other forums so see if anyone recognizes the pattern. Perhaps it'll be at a stage where you could fudge it without the pattern (I've never done a filet tablecloth - what is it? - so I could be wrong). The cotton or yarn may be easier to match by bringing it into a store. The tension is a whole other issue. I know I've had problems finishing other people's knitting projects and changing needle sizes to get the right gauge. Even it's it's not a perfect match, I'm sure the son will be very grateful for the finished tablecloth.
sheilajoyce_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
This young man lives in New York City, and I live in coastal southern California. So he will have to mail it to me, and decide if he can trust me to take good care of it and get it back to him. We'll see how long it takes DS to make the offer as he does not know this classmate well. If there is no pattern, and if I cannot identify the pattern, then there is no way I could begin to guess what to do. Of course, if it is just a matter of making some motifs, I suspect that could be figured out more or less. But if it is one of those oval patterns, with each row different, ugh!

I would love to give this young man his mother's tablecloth all complete. Hope it can be done. It will be fun to help her give him an heirloom.
wantoretire_did
16 years ago
Sheilajoyce - Why don't you communicate directly with the young man and tell him everything that you could use to make it easier to complete. That way, he would know just what to look for and possibly can locate a pattern, thread, etc., at the least.

Just a thought at o'dark 30.

Where are you in So. Calif? We moved to upstate NY from Oceanside 4 years ago.
profsusan
16 years ago
I haven't done filet tablecloths - too much work but I remember my grandmother making all those scarves and runners. If he has the pattern, he could scan it to you and mail off some of the thread if he has it and of course a digital photo of the work in progress. You mentioned they were in law school and lived in NYC - I work in NYC so perhaps I could offer some assistance with a quick eye.